


A Trip to Yamagata

by onigirikita



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:34:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25014013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onigirikita/pseuds/onigirikita
Summary: In the last few days of summer holiday, the graduated third-years and the remaining players of Shiratorizawa's VBC impulsively goes to the Yamagata Prefecture on a road trip. Yamagata Hayato, who has been feeling torn about the team's impending separation, learns an important lesson along the trip about friendship and brotherhood.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19
Collections: Shiratorizawa Fanweek 2020





	A Trip to Yamagata

**Author's Note:**

> This work is a part of **Shiratorizawa Fanweek 2020** for _Day 3_ , with the prompt **"Road Trip".**
> 
>  **Trigger Warning** : Mentions of bullying.

There were only a few days left before Hayato had to leave Sendai for Tokyo– the team that recruited him, Hiashi Automotive Lions, was based at the capital city of Japan, after all. Around the same time as him, Reon would depart to Osaka for Kiniro Sports Jumpers, while Eita and Jin would move all the way to Nagano for university. That only leaves Satori and Wakatoshi as the ones who will stay in Sendai: with Satori going through the process of meeting local publishers for his first ever shonen manga, while Wakatoshi would be training there for most of the times, if he wasn’t on away games. The first and second-year players of Shiratorizawa’s team, such as Tsutomu, Kenjirou, and Taichi, also only had a week left before school starts again, and they would then be crowned as the senior players of the team.

Everyone only had a few days left before their respective events in life would resume: the first training of the season, the first semester of university, and the new academic year will be starting around the same time. One would say that a week still counts as a plenty amount of time to be wasted together, yet Hayato felt like his days were being numbered: like he was inevitably pushed by time towards a future that he _knows_ will change his life forever. How can it not? Hayato would ask himself over and over. In just a few days, everyone would pack their bags and lead their own respective lives– officially ending the time where they would be able to share a moment together. That fact alone was enough to nurture the growing ache in his heart, because wasn’t it just yesterday that they practiced together until their arms and knees gave out? In just a few days, he would be separated from these band of people that he calls his brothers over many prefectures and their own activities. That fact was enough to make tears sting at the corner of his eyes, because wasn’t it just last night that they slept together at Satori’s dorm room to binge watch an anime that was a current hit?

Yet here he was, a few days left before the inevitable change between him and the people that he grew to love, clad in a dark blue _yukata_ and dipping his legs into a free foot bath in the middle of a hot spring town. On his right and left sides were his brothers that chose to come to this impromptu and poorly-planned road trip, throwing jabs and jokes at one another while they languidly swung their legs in the perfectly warm water, and Hayato felt like he was in such a perfect moment. It was like time had stopped, and their remaining days was like a concept that never existed in the first place, and Hayato knew that he was currently sitting at the right place with the right people in this world.

***

The heat of summer was more merciful in August for the citizens of Sendai, as the blazing temperature would be gradually cooled by the autumn breeze that was starting to seep into the hot days. Today, Hayato deems that the weather would be perfect to hold their weekly team lunch outside: it wasn’t too hot that it would turn Eita and Kenjirou’s cheeks a tomato red, nor would it make Reon and Tsutomu sweat profusely when they step outside. He drags a long table to the _engawa_ that faced the vast backyard of his family home, setting it horizontally between the _shoji_ that opened to the back yard and the edge of the _engawa_. Carefully, he maneuvered past the table to bring back clean plates and glasses. He spots the clock ticking by as he moved through the living room: 11.47 AM, it read, which meant that he still had roughly 13 minutes before his friends came for their weekly lunch. As the appointed host for this week’s lunch, Hayato was going to give his all into making this lunch a memorable one– even if he couldn’t cook to save his life.

By the time that the table was set and Hayato was finished making the iced tea, a gentle chime from the doorbell rang throughout the house: his teammates had arrived on time. People would often be surprised when they know that the players are always punctual, but punctuality was actually one of the traits that was drilled incessantly by Coach Washijou himself. That had resulted in even the tardiest of the group, like Taichi and himself, to come to an appointment on time. As Hayato moved towards the main doors, he visibly shuddered when he recalled the deadly punishment that Coach Washijou would give to the players who were late for practice: 100 repetitions of any type of move– for Hayato, it was usually diving drills –that would effectively reinforce punctuality into their personality. One thing that he would always be glad for because of graduating from Shiratorizawa was that he was free from Coach Washijou’s demon regimens and hellish punishments.

“Hayato-kun! About time that you opened up,” Satori’s cheerful voice greeted him, as the red-haired teen playfully swung around bags that were, Hayato assumed, filled with food, “We all thought you overslept!” The libero rolled his eyes and moved aside to let his teammates in. One by one, they walked into the _genkan_ and slipped their shoes off into the _getabako_. They respectfully announced their presence by saying ‘sorry for the interruption!’ into the empty house before they ventured even deeper. Hayato has a thought in mind to remind them that they didn’t need to do so– his parents were always away, and it was only him in the house anyway –but the thought was gone as soon as it came, as his attention was taken up by Eita who had started talking.

“You know, when we were walking here, Tsutomu mentioned something interesting,” Eita’s light brown eyes were trained on Hayato, and there was a glimmer of interest in them, “When he was studying geography, he noticed that our next-door prefecture has the same name as your last name, Hayato. We’ve all just realized about this now. It’s even written in the same kanji!” Hayato raised his eyebrows at this. He had always known that his last name was the same as that prefecture: many people would come to him to question about his family’s relationship to the prefecture. Had his teammates, especially the third-years, only noticed now? _Perhaps Kenjirou had noticed in his first year, since he was the only one who actually puts effort to study, but wasn’t bothered by the resemblance of the name to even question it. It’s a bit hard to believe that Tsutomu, of all people, was the one who remembered this fact and actually asked_ , Hayato mused.

They all stopped in the kitchen first to wash their hands, setting their bags aside to do so. The conversation about Hayato’s family name was promptly forgotten as the boys, except for Wakatoshi, Reon, and Jin, scrambled to get to the sink first. Satori immediately took the chance to make a ruckus, teasingly splashing water onto Wakatoshi and Eita: the former lightly scolded the red-haired teen to not make a mess, while Eita all out slapped the back of his head, earning a well-earned ‘ouch!’ that was followed by ‘you’re so mean, Eita-kun!’ from the middle blocker. Reon, the responsible one on the team, would break their little fight by gently pushing Satori away once he’s finished, letting Eita resume his rigorous nail scrubbing in peace. The peace doesn’t last long, though, as Kenjirou would mutter that the ash-haired setter was taking too long, and Eita’s short temper would be lit once more. Hayato knew that he was supposed to help in wrangling them up so they could get started on lunch. Yet, here he was: lounging near the kitchen’s exit, smiling to himself as he watched the interaction unfold. 

As Hayato watched their bickering, there was this sense of fondness and nostalgia that bloomed in his heart, along with a hint of sadness that had made itself known ever since they graduated back in April. There had always been some sort of amusement, that would later turn into fondness, whenever he watched their teammates playfully fight one another. The nostalgia, and later, the feeling of sadness, comes after he graduated: perhaps, their own separation from each other fueled such feelings in his heart. Nonetheless, the sadness seemed to grow along with this sentimentality for his teammates– the people that he called his brothers–, as they coexist to make Hayato tremble from the sheer warmness in his chest and the tightness in his throat. He watched as Tsutomu diligently helped Reon to separate Eita from Kenjirou, while Taichi and Satori– those sneaky bastards –stood aside to cackle at the scene. Wakatoshi had long left the sink to save the bags from the onslaught of their fight, as Kenjirou was walking further back into the kitchen island and was at risk of knocking them down. The quiet ace sent Hayato a look, one that was filled with the same kind of fondness that Hayato sported, only that there was an inkling of wariness in his olive eyes where there was a sadness in the libero’s dark brown ones.

“We should get going before the food gets cold.” Wakatoshi simply said, as he excused himself to go to the backyard first to set the food. Taichi and Satori followed the ace with the last of the bags, smiling and waving teasingly at Hayato, leaving the libero as the one to assemble the team. Thankfully, as his eyes scans the kitchen, he spots another member who didn’t abandon his poor self: Jin was still rooted near the sink as he hadn’t gotten the chance to wash his hand. The vice captain’s head glanced from the rowdy bunch to Hayato in exasperation– do they really have to argue in _here_? Hayato imagined the question that Jin would ask him.

Hayato swiftly moved through the kitchen to hold the back of Kenjirou’s collar, dragging the younger out to the backyard with a squeeze on his shoulders. The brown-haired setter was still seething when Hayato pushed him down to sit at a vacant cushion– the empty one between Wakatoshi and Satori –but one, rare smile from the ace seemed to have evaporated every sense of anger in Kenjirou. Hayato couldn’t help but roll his eyes for the second time of the day: only the ace has the power to quall the setter’s anger, with Kenjirou’s admiration for him playing the key role of Wakatoshi’s effect on him. Now, Kenjirou was able to talk with the others in a peaceful way, his eyes concentrated on the food that his seniors were unpacking from the container. Hayato, now convinced that the situation was okay, turned take a seat for himself: plopping down between Reon and Tsutomu.

Now, all of the food was laid out, and everyone had settled on their respective cushions: with Satori, Kenjirou, Wakatoshi, and Jin on one side of the table, while Eita, Reon, Hayato, Tsutomu, and Taichi on the other. On the long table, various kinds of dishes were laid out: a mountain amount of rice for their monstrous appetite, _saba shioyaki, tamagoyaki, nikujaga, yasai itame_ , perfectly-cut watermelons, and Hayato’s iced tea contained in a large jug. The dishes were random at best, as they rarely coordinated about what kind of dishes they would bring– as long as everyone brought enough food, they will be eaten and licked clean off its plate without any complaints. Even Wakatoshi, who was the strictest about the food that he ate and his balanced diet, seemed to close his eyes to some of the greasy food that were served in order to enjoy the company of his friends. Hayato, too, found himself cherishing their company and the home-made food: clasping his hands together as he mutters his gratitude along with his friends before they dug in.

The iced tea, the shade from the roof, and the occasional cool breeze that swept by had successfully toned down the heat of summer. Hayato quietly munched into the slice of _tamagoyaki_ that he had snatched, choosing to enjoy his food in silence while rest of his friends conversed. His eyes trailed from Satori, who was animatedly recounting the progress of his manga, to Eita, who shot Hayato a pointed look. Hayato, in turn, furrows his eyebrows in confusion towards the setter.

“So, does your family’s name actually have any connection to the name of the Yamagata prefecture?” Eita asked, once the conversation that Satori started have died down. _Oh, yeah, I forgot to respond to that_ , Hayato chided himself. All eyes were curiously trained on him now. “No, we don’t, actually. I asked my dad about it when I was a kid– because sometimes people would come up to me to ask your question –, but his family just happened to have that surname. Him and his family originated from Sendai, anyway, so that’s just further proof that there’s no link between their surname and the prefecture’s name.” Hayato then gauged at his friends’ reactions: most of them nodded and hummed when they learn of this fact, while others– particularly the most curious of all, Tsutomu –shrinks into their seats when their expectations were crashed by Hayato’s plain story.

“But, have you actually been there before, Yamagata-senpai?” Tsutomu starts, the fire of curiosity in his eyes still burning strong, “I heard that they had one of the best hot spring towns in the nation! Plus, a town in there also has the same name Tendou-senpai’s surname.” This new-learned fact caused Hayato’s eyebrow to arch up even further: first, because he didn’t _know_ Tsutomu would be _this_ invested in learning about the Yamagata prefecture, and second, because he’s just known that there’s a town named the same way as Satori’s surname? _Whose name will pop in the next new fact?_ Hayato thought in bewilderment.

“I’ve also learned about that too, Hayato-kun!” Satori chimed in when he noticed the look of confusion in Hayato’s eyes, “But the city exists! Tsutomu explained that it’s one of the names of the 13 cities in the prefecture, while Yamagata is the prefecture’s capital city. The city is known to hold shogi-related events and for their exquisite cherries. Isn’t that cool?” Hayato hums in surprise, pleasantly shocked to know of the resemblance and the new facts. He noticed that his friends were sporting an amused or proud look that were directed towards Tsutomu, who has now turned into blushing mess because of the pride and awe that were directed towards him. Hayato found himself grinning anyway, because how can he just know that Tsutomu was _this_ passionate in studying geography? The fact that he puts effort into studying a minor detail, even though he wasn’t obliged to do so, was an astonishing fact for Hayato. 

Remembering that he had a question to answer, Hayato then sets his half-eaten _tamagoyaki_ down to ponder over it, to which his mind provides that no, he hasn’t been to the prefecture before in all his life. “No, I’ve never been there before, since I rarely travel out of Sendai except for away games and nationals. I’ve also just known about that fact, Satori,” Hayato then turned to the rest of his friends to ask, “How about you guys? Any of you have ever been there before?” A chorus of ‘no’s followed him, and so Hayato lets the conversation die out when Jin mentioned a new topic that spurs a heated debate between them. The libero chose to continue eating his lunch in quiet, opting to sit out of the conversation and observe their argument about a new movie that have just released.

Somehow, that weird mix of ache and warmth have returned to his heart whenever he chose to attentively watch and listen to his friends talk. It’s a pesky feeling, one that would catch him off guard whenever it shows, and honestly? Hayato felt as ancient as Wakatoshi’s grandmother, especially with this sense of nostalgia that overwhelms him. He felt like he was present in this moment, yet at the same time he felt like he wasn’t, especially not with this burning feeling that was distracting his focus. He sips on his iced tea to keep the constricting feeling of his throat down, and he laughs along with Satori whenever the red-haired teen made a good joke. But, the feeling bites away at his heart, and the lunch doesn’t really feel so enjoyable anymore. Not when he was thinking about how they were going to be separated soon, not when he was thinking about how this moment would never repeat itself when they are all busy with their careers, not when–

“Hey, what if we go on a road trip to Yamagata?” Satori asked, out of the blue, when the conversation dies out. Everyone’s eyes were wide in shock, but apparently, there was also a glimmer of interest in them: road trips _do_ sound like a lot of fun, and neither of them have went on a road trip that weren’t for practice matches or the nationals. They were all waiting for someone to break the silence, and Reon did so with a small smile on his face. “Well, my uncle owns a car rental, and last I checked, we can rent vans at his place. The size of it should fit us all.” Then, there were screams of excitement released from their lips (except Wakatoshi, who responded with his jaws going slack and his eyes brightening significantly), as they all knew that this road trip was _totally_ happening.

“Wait, let me grab a map!” Hayato scrambles back into the house and grabs a map that shows the intricate roads of the prefecture. They had cleared out the long table for Hayato to lay the map out, and with the help of a marker, they pin point the four locations that they want to visit, making a circular route that started from Sendai, then to Yamagata, Yamadera Temple, Tendou, Ginzan Onsen, and ended back home. Once the route was set, the tasks that were needed to be done were divided: Kenjirou and Taichi were in charge of booking the hotel, Reon was in charge of talking to his uncle about the van, Satori and Eita were in charge of making a more detailed itinerary, while the rest were in charge of responsibly buying snacks and medicine for the trip. As everyone filed out of Hayato’s home when the sun has set, the libero went with Wakatoshi, Jin, and Tsutomu to the minimarket, buying what Wakatoshi would deem fit for their trip: energy bars and drinks, a pack of chips, a few bottle of water, and medicines. They split off with a wave, and Hayato trudges back home with a huge grin on his face.

Hayato’s phone beeped at around 8 PM, right after he finished packing his clothes and had zipped his travel bag shut.

20.14 PM: Okay, has everyone got the permission from their parents to go? My uncle said he’ll let us rent the van for free. – _The nicest guy in the team, ever_.

20.14 PM: I already did! My parents have given me the go, senpai. – _Baby future ace_.

20.15 PM: Same for Taichi and I. We’ve also booked the cheapest hotel that we can find that would fit all of us in the same room. – _Murder setter_.

20.15 PM: All of the third-years got the permission to go. We’ve also got the snacks, drinks, and medicine needed for the road. – _JinJin_.

20.16 PM: Here’s the detailed itinerary for the trip: – _No talk I angy_.

 **Day 1** : Meet up at Reon’s house (6 AM) - Arrive at Yamagata City - Take a photo at JR Yamagata Station (Satori said there’s a huge sign that says ‘Yamagata’ there) - Eat at Nanukomachi Street, there’s tons of good _soba_ there - Go to Hirashimizu to make potteries - Check in at the hotel in Yamagata.  
**Day 2** : Have breakfast at the hotel, check out (6 AM) - Depart to Yamadera Temple - Go to Tendou City - Take a photo at Tendou Station (there’s also a huge sign that says ‘Tendou’ there) - Eat at a ramen shop nearby the station - Go to Tendou Park - Go cherry picking - Check in at the hotel in Tendou.  
**Day 3** : Have breakfast at the hotel, check out (6 AM) - Depart to Ginzan Onsen - Check in first at the _ryokan_ , book the private _onsen_ for around 3 PM - Eat lunch nearby - Go to the waterfall and mine - Dip at the _onsen_ around 3 PM, and then book the private onsen again for around 9 PM - Have dinner at the hotel, and then take a walk outside at night (we could try the free foot bath there) - Take a dip again at the _onsen_ around 9 PM.  
**Day 4 **: Have breakfast at the _ryokan_ , check out (10 AM) - Head back to Sendai.****

********

20.16 PM: Sounds fun, right?! – _Miracle boy_.

********

20.17 PM: That’s perfect. Since only Reon, Hayato, Eita, and I that can drive, each one of us gets to drive for a day, okay? The rest can be the navigator. – _Captain_.

********

20.18 PM: That sounds great. – _Forever sleepy_.

********

20.18 PM: I’ll bring camera to take pictures and vlog! – _Miracle boy_.

********

20.19 PM: Then that’s settled. Let’s go to sleep guys, since we’re rolling out early tomorrow. Good night! – _Hayato_.

********

20.20 PM: Good night, everyone~ – Miracle boy.

********

Hayato charged his phone by his bedside– for once, he actually made sure that he wouldn’t lose his phone in the morning –and slips into his bed, pulling the covers up to snuggle into them. He lets a content sigh escape from his lips, as he was definitely excited for tomorrow, even though there was this worry that clung in his heart: that this might just be the _last_ time that they’ll spend a time together like this. He shudders at the thought, and he tries to think of other, happy things in his mind to help lull himself to sleep.

********

***

********

As expected from someone who have been trained by the demon coach himself for a minimum of one year, the players of Shiratorizawa’s Volleyball Club were punctual as they arrived at Reon’s house on time, just as the sun started to peek from the mountains. Everyone looked sleepy except for Wakatoshi, who was the designated driver for the day. He doesn’t mind the silence that settles on the van as they took off, because the ace wasn’t much a talker anyway. But, seeing everyone snuggle closer to one another under the spare blankets that Tsutomu provided was a cute sight to see that made the quite drive worth it. Everyone woke up around half an hour into the drive, and they munched on their snacks as they watched the view of the mountains pass by them. Satori would then whip his camera out to vlog, zooming in on their sleepy faces and giving a narration about the current situation in a hushed voice. “Everyone’s barely awake, but we’re already at the halfway point into the trip, and we’ll be arriving in Yamagata in 30 minutes. Look at Kenjirou there: this is one of the rare moments where we can see his immaculate hear being _this_ ruffled and unkempt. He’s still sleepy, so he doesn’t realize I’m–” Satori’s monologue was promptly disturbed when a blanket was thrown over his face, and vlog abruptly ends there.

********

True to Satori’s prediction, they arrived in the city half an hour later. Their first stop was Yamagata city itself, and the boys took the chance to stop by the JR Yamagata Station to pose at the big sign that showed the prefecture’s name. They were all pointing towards the sign, with Hayato dead set on the center of the group formation. A kind lady that offered to take their picture smiled in amusement as she watched their dorky grins through the camera. Once the team have thanked the lady and she was off on her merry way, Satori fished out his camera once more to vlog this perfect moment. “Hey there! We have just arrived at Yamagata City, where the name of the city itself resembles the surname of our team’s libero: Yamagata Hayato!” The red-haired teen drags Hayato into the camera that were pointing at them both, and the libero sheepishly smiled as Satori ruffled his hair and talked about the amazing saves that Hayato did in their matches. Satori continued to vlog along the way to Nanukomachi Street, pointing out landmarks that they saw along the way. Satori would sometimes point to random members of the group to narrate the vlog, and their words were ranged from very random things to brutally honest ones: for example, Tsutomu would mention about wanting to play volleyball here, while Taichi would plainly say that he was still sleepy even after he’s got a decent 8 hours of sleep. 

********

They hit the Nanukomachi Street next to eat _soba_ for lunch, and after their stomach was filled, they visited Hirashimizu to make potteries. Jin decided to sit out and chose to record the whole experience on Satori’s camera, while Tsutomu have unsurprisingly tried to challenge Wakatoshi into who can make the best pot. They ended up voting who had the best pot, even though both of them seemed to have failed miserably in making them: Wakatoshi’s pot was far too big than what was considered as a ‘pot’, while the edges to Tsutomu’s pot was floppy and uneven. “Honestly, both of them are terrible at this.” Jin mutters into the camera, but he points his index finger to vote for Wakatoshi’s plate-like pot anyway. Wakatoshi ended up winning by one point, and that had left Tsutomu in a sulky mood. Hayato ends up treating him to _soba_ ice cream to lighten his mood, and the cheery smile that Tsutomu worn after tasting the sweet treat was worth every penny that he spent.  


********

The team stayed the night at the cheapest hotel that they could find that would provide a room big enough for 9 people. Everyone draped their futon closer to each other, and they played a pack of UNO that soon turns into a chaotic mess: Taichi and Kenjirou are clearly cheating to win individually, yet somehow Satori always won the game despite their best efforts. “That’s not fair! How come you’re so good at this, Tendou-senpai?” Tsutomu cried out, his look of disbelief caught on the camera that Hayato was holding. Jin and Reon would say that it was because Satori had a good instinct on what kind of cards the other players have, while Wakatoshi would simply dismiss them by saying that Satori was just good at strategizing. They picked up the cards that were thrown in frustration by Taichi, but then they would start a pillow fight right after, only stopping once their next door neighbor loudly scolded them for causing a ruckus at midnight. Miraculously, they didn’t break the sturdy pillows, and everyone slept soundly until Wakatoshi and Reon’s alarm rang around 6 AM.

********

They continued the second day of the trip to Yamadera Temple, just right outside of the city. They climbed the never-ending steps upwards, but the hike was honestly worth it: with the view from the hanging cliff beside the temple, they could see the nature that was laid out right below them. The wind that blew past the temple was chilly, a total contrast to the sun that was beating down their skin and the sweat that clung to the back of their clothes. Satori would teasingly stand on the edge of the cliff– still in a careful distance from the unfenced edge –and threw his arms out wide, saying that he felt so _free_ standing here. “Someone come be my Jack!” Satori called out, as he was perfectly posed like Rose in that one scene in Titanic. Taichi stood aside to record the moment that Wakatoshi came up to stiffly hug Satori’s waist, as the red-haired teen recited Rose’s line. “I’m flying, Jack!” Satori said in a breathless tone, and the boys burst into laughter at his ‘awed’ expression. The camera in Taichi’s hand shook because of his laughter, yet they caught the scene perfectly. Hayato could somehow understand where Satori was coming from, about feeling ‘free’ in this place: feeling the wind ruffling their hair, standing at a high point of view, and in the quietness of the mountain, was indeed a liberating feeling. Since they’ve climbed all the way up, they prayed inside the temple, and Hayato wishes for their friendships to last before he wishes for the success of his career.  


********

After everyone finished praying and taking pictures, they began the hike back down and drove to the city of Tendou next. The first stop, of course, was the Tendou Station, where they took a picture while pointing to the sign that held the city’s name– Satori being the one in the middle of the formation now. Satori whipped his camera out to vlog at this perfect moment, grinning gleefully while pointing and the sign, explaining that they were all currently in the city that shared his family’s name. They had lunch at a ramen shop and went to Tendou Park, where they could hike from there and end up at a local shrine. They took a few pictures there, and Hayato pet the cute cats that somehow served as the ‘guardian’ of the empty shrine. Their next stop was to a cherry picking spot, as Tendou was known for its export of cherries. They then brought their picked cherries to a secluded park nearby, where they haphazardly sat on the grass to munch on their hard work while basking in the heat of summer. The sun was slowly sinking on the horizon, painting the skies in its pink and purple hues, and this moment– sitting under the colorful sky, illuminated by the last rays of sunlight with his friends –seemed to make both the awe and sadness in Hayato’s heart grow bigger. _There was only one day left. Just one day_.

********

Everyone slept soundly in the cramped hotel room that day, as the hikes that they did was enough to burn any leftover energy in them. But they didn’t pay any mind to the soreness in their muscles though, as what awaits them in the morning will cure their ache: a trip to a hot spring town for their last day. The boys woke extra early for this day, a sign of eagerness, as it had been a while since everyone took a dip in an _onsen_. Hayato was the one that drove them to Ginzan Onsen, a spring town located further away from Tendou. The drive there were filled with thrilled questions from everyone: like if they would meet a ghost since the _ryokan_ there were ancient, or would they be able to taste some _soba_ tea there. Satori rambles about how the _ryokan_ there looked straight out of a Ghibli movie, and the team lets him explain the general plot for those who haven’t watched Spirited Away. They arrived just outside of the town after an hour-long drive, and they parked the van outside of the little town, since only small cars were able to fit through the tiny roads, and they walked the short distance to enter the town.  


********

The Ginzan Onsen was, indeed, a magnificent sight: with a river separating the two sides of the town, endless four-story _ryokan_ that lined the rivers and still maintained their traditional touch, people walking with their _yukata_ and _geta_ , and steam lightly covering the town. It _did_ look like it was from Spirited Away, Hayato thought in awe. The rest of his teammates were blown back by the amazing view that had greeted them, and their smiles were gleeful as they know that this will be the _best_ part of their trip.

********

“Onsen!” Tsutomu and Satori cried out, as they both trudged ahead with their bags towards the _ryokan_ where they stayed. Hayato and the rest of them laughed at their antics and followed suit, taking their time to enjoy the scenery as they walked. There were bridges that connected two sides of the river, and from afar, they spot Tsutomu and Satori stopping at the red-colored bridge, which ended to their _ryokan_.

********

“Hurry up, let’s take a picture here!” Satori calls out to them from the bridge, the pitch in his voice garnering the attention of people who were passing by. Eita sighs at this and urges the team to jog there instead, and they all took a picture in the cramped bridge. Satori gushes once more that they look like they were transported into Spirited Away.

********

After they have checked in, they were off to explore the town. The _ryokan_ that lined the two sides of the river were magnificent, as people could still see the original wood and white plasters that were greatly preserved from many years ago. The town, like any other place in the prefecture, specialized in _soba_ -related food as well. They ate _soba_ once more, finishing it off with _soba_ ice cream as a dessert. They trailed up along the river until they came to the hiking track towards the waterfall, and once they arrived there, they all took pictures and playfully splashed water on one another. Jin had accidently splashed too much water the front of Kenjirou’s pants, which, honest to god, made the setter look like he pissed himself. Kenjirou had ran around the area to get some revenge on him, and he had successfully did so: as he managed to splash water onto the back of Jin’s trousers, making him look just as messy as Kenjirou was. Wakatoshi thankfully intervened, reminding them to keep dry since they didn’t bring any spare clothes to change. They continued their trek to see the leftovers of the mine, where they enter from an open cave that opens up into a wide, underground mine. Hayato subconsciously moved closer towards Eita and Satori, gripping the edge of their sleeves as they ventured even deeper. They did take pictures inside with the help of a flash, but they were out as soon as they were finished– turns out, Hayato wasn’t the only one spooked by the eeriness inside.  


********

As they were teenagers who were eager to go have a dip in the _onsen_ , they did the most idiotic thing that one could ever do: race down the hike trail to get to their _ryokan_ first. The last thing that Hayato saw before he joined the rowdy bunch’s race was Wakatoshi and Reon’s panicked face, and he sped down with the rest of the team until they arrived at door of the _ryokan_ in a panting mess. They were all smiling while they were catching their breaths, and Hayato thought that the race was worth it, albeit there was so much danger in them– he could have broken an arm or leg if he took a wrong step, when he was supposed to be training with his team in less than a week. _I didn’t though, and the race was actually fun_ , Hayato amusingly thought. The last of the two, Wakatoshi and Reon, appeared 5 minutes later: perplexed at how everyone had made it down in one piece, yet their eyes held a glint of amusement nonetheless.

********

The reservation that they’ve made beforehand allowed the team to have the large-sized _onsen_ to themselves, and everyone breathed out a sigh of relief once their body sunk fully into the water, leaving their head up above the water. Hayato felt the tenseness in his muscles– from the hours he spent diving for a ball, for all the matches that they go through for the past three years –melt into the water, and he can see that everyone felt was feeling the same kind of thing. They were all languidly smiling and grinning lazily to one another, engaging in a small talk as they enjoyed the warm water that relaxed their muscles. Suddenly, Hayato felt that warmth and sadness feeling pull at his heart once more. But he pays them no mind, just like what he had been doing for the rest of the trip: because he couldn’t afford to be sad when this was their last day of the trip. _No, I couldn’t_. So he sinks further into the water to bask into the _onsen_ euphoria instead.

********

***

********

In the last night of their trip, the boys decided to venture through the Ginzan Onsen to enjoy the cool summer night before they take their last dip in their _ryokan_ ’s bath. They were all clad in the dark blue _yukata_ provided by the _ryokan_ , their respective _geta_ clicking against the brick ground. They took more photos of the hot spring town in the dark, posing in the middle of the red-colored bridge to contrast the pictures that they had taken in the daylight. Satori still had that glimmer of amazement in his eyes, even though he had been staring at the traditional 4-story buildings all day. “It’s like we’re in Spirited Away! I mean, look at the traditional wooden buildings that surround this place, and the white plasters on it! And the red bridge!” Satori rambled, again and again, yet Hayato– and the rest of his friends, really –doesn’t have the heart to chide his loud reactions. Satori have been stressed with the deals that he needed to seal with his publisher, and the team have rarely seen the red-haired being _this_ excited ever since he graduated, so they let this slide.

********

They traveled further away from the _ryokan_ where they stayed and ended up at the center of the town, which was still crowded with people finding dinner and souvenirs. As the team have already eaten at the _ryokan_ before they left, they decided to settle once more with _soba_ ice cream and hot tea, lounging on the empty seats near the public foot bath to enjoy their beverages.

********

“Ushijima-san,” Kenjirou’s voice broke the silence that have settled over them, “Tsutomu had said earlier that he’s going to beat you in his own Division 1 team in his first match.” The tone of his voice held no emotions, like how he usually talks, but no one can miss the glint of mischief in his hazel brown eyes, as Kenjirou’s objective was _very_ clear: embarrass Tsutomu in front of Wakatoshi while he still could.

********

The bowl cut-haired teen gasped, as if Kenjirou have spilled a deep secret that Tsutomu had entrusted to him. “Shirabu-san! I trusted you to keep that secret!” He wailed in embarrassment as his cheeks were starting to turn pink, his dramatic reaction making the rest of his teammates cackle. The only one who didn’t, though, was Wakatoshi: as the team’s former ace sported a genuine smile when he heard of Tsutomu’s endearing challenge. His hands, bigger and rougher than Tsutomu’s still growing ones, carefully ruffles the younger teen’s jet black locks. With the sudden weight on top of his head, Tsutomu cracks his eyes open to see Wakatoshi staring at him with so much pride.

********

“I’ll be waiting for you on the other side of the court, then.” Wakatoshi had simply answered him, yet they were enough to convey the growing pride for Tsutomu and the acceptance of his challenge towards the younger teen. Tsutomu’s eyes seemed to twinkle with delight at this, the embarrassment that have washed over him have long disappeared, replaced instead with a fiery excitement.

********

“It’s not like you’re any better than Goshiki, you know that, Shirabu?” Taichi shot back, his lips curled into a sly smirk that could rival the one that painted Kenjirou’s face earlier, “You specifically said that you wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon so you could treat sports-related injuries, and by doing so, ups your chance at–” Whatever it was that Taichi was about to say was muffled by the pale hands that had suddenly clasped itself onto his lips, as Kenjirou glared at him through his eyes, as if daring him to _come on, say it and see the consequence_. Taichi visibly shuddered and held his hands up as a sign of defeat, and Kenjirou finally let go after a final warning to _shut it_ have been conveyed from his angry hazel eyes. The third-years snicker at their antics, and Hayato could already guess that whatever it was that Taichi was going to spill, it must’ve been related to Wakatoshi in some way.

********

“Hey, hey! You two should stop it. We’re not spending our last day here to kill each other, okay?” Satori sing sang, breaking their glaring competition by standing in front of the two second-years. He grabs a hold of their arms– making sure that his grip was light, but with enough power: as Kenjirou was the easiest among the group to get bruised, while Taichi would sometimes flinch when people grab him with too much force –to pull them up from their seat, dragging the baffled second-years towards the vacant foot bath. “Come on, let’s take a dip here first to relax the tension in you both.” Both Taichi and Kenjirou had a disapproving look on their faces, most likely stemming from their unfinished business, but they complied to Satori’s request once they saw that their red-haired senior had already dipped his legs in.

********

Reon and Hayato followed Satori’s lead, as they too walked towards the foot bath, discarding their _geta_ aside before they carefully dipped their own feet in. He hears Reon murmur a soft ‘there we go!’ when he sits down after Hayato does, earning a soft snort from the libero. Reon, the easier one to tease and the most lenient amongst them all, flashes him a sheepish smile when he’s caught in the act. Wakatoshi sits across the five of them with Jin, Goshiki, and Eita, as the foot bath was formed in a letter U. They all sighed in relieve once they’ve gotten used to the perfect temperature of the water, and just like Satori had said, all of their tension goes away in an instant.

********

“You know, I’m still going to watch you all play if you ever have a match in Sendai, or if I can make it to your games when they’re around my reach,” Eita had said, with his eyes trained onto the rippling water. The internal anger that Eita seems to harbor all the time have dissipated along with the steam that came from the foot bath: they looked softer now, with a hint of nostalgia showing through his light brown eyes. Hayato realizes that, perhaps, his friends– specifically the third years that were going to separate soon –were feeling the same kind of feeling that he felt: warmth and sadness coexisting together in their hearts, creating a bittersweet taste that renders them speechless. His throat suddenly feels tight, and tears were starting to sting at the corner of his eyes, as the realization dawns in him in a slow and steady wave: he wasn’t feeling these things alone. “Retiring from volleyball doesn’t lessen my love for the sport, and it goes the same way as graduating from high school and separating from you all.”

********

All heads swiftly turned towards Eita, as even Wakatoshi himself was baffled by the confession. The ash-haired setter has always been a tough love-kind of guy, never showing much affection towards his teammates unless the situation warrants it, and even so, there were always sharp remarks or a minimum amount of violence involved. So to have Eita, the one who shows his care for his friends by retorts and violence, to admit his love for them in a peaceful manner? Everyone was shocked, but their smiles grew bigger when they realized the implication of Eita’s words. Eita’s ears were growing pink by the second as he basked in their looks of awe, yet he patiently waits for them to recollect themselves and to respond.

********

Tsutomu, who was surprisingly the first to recover from the shock, launched at Eita with a question, “Will you watch our matches too? I promise that we’ll beat Karasuno at the preliminaries, and we can all meet up again when the three of us gets to Tokyo!” The shine in his eyes, twinkling with a confident promise, was an endearing thing to watch for the graduated third-years. Hayato could see Eita visibly tearing up, and he offers a nod as a response and a careful pat on the head for the boisterous teen. Jin then spoke up to add more confirmation into Eita’s response, “Of course we would! Although some of us might be busy and would have to watch the livestream instead, but if we’re around Sendai and can watch the preliminaries, we’ll definitely come to the match.” The returned promise seemed to be all that Tsutomu needed to hear, as he bursts into a crying mess right there and then, burying his face into his palm to hide them from the stares of his seniors. Both Eita and Jin, who were sitting by Tsutomu’s sides, offered the junior some comfort through the tissues that they bring and gentle squeezes on his shoulders.

********

Reon, who was tearing up as the scene unfolds in front of him, spoke up as well, “But don’t forget to play for fun as well, though. We all know that Coach Washijou always tried to brainwash us into thinking that we play to win only, when in reality, we end up always playing for fun, anyway. What makes our loss back then sting even further, for me at least, was that the game– the fun that I had –finally ceased to an end.” His eyes came in contact with Hayato’s, and they are glassy but full of the same kind of bitterness that the libero had in his heart. Hayato gently laid his hand on top of Reon’s significantly bigger ones, giving them a small squeeze of reassurance. He sees a small smile curl on Reon’s lips, and that was convincing enough for Hayato to know that the wing spiker wouldn’t break down crying.

********

At this point, everyone else was getting emotional– except for Wakatoshi, they all either had teary eyes or were sniffling into the sleeves of their _yukata_ –, and Hayato could imagine that they were quite a sight to see. A bunch of teens that had bodies that resembled a fully-grown adult, lounging in a public foot bath and looking like they were about to bursts into tears together. At this point, Hayato wouldn’t be surprised if they all did, as he noticed that the graduated third-years were saying their farewells one by one, and each of their words seemed to cure this resonating pang in his heart, replacing them with a sense of gratefulness at the love and care that they poured out. The tears were still pooling in his eyes, unable to disappear even if he blinks them away. His throat still constricts when pulses of warmth would strike his chest, but he isn’t ashamed if a sob ever breaks free from his lips: he feels like he was sharing a perfect moment with the right kind of people now, with his friends– no, his _brothers_ , and he felt like he could just be himself now. Even if being himself involves showing intense emotions through tears and snot.

********

“We were a good team, and we fought well: that’s all that matters in the end,” Wakatoshi starts, and everyone visibly straighten their spines when they hear his deep voice, “There is no doubt that this team, all of us who are here, are strong. But personally, I don’t just see all of you as skillful teammates: you’re all _more_ than just that. If I’m allowed to say this, playing with all of you have felt like I was playing with my _brothers_. I’ve never had such a close bond with my teammates before, and to know that I am able to share moments like these with everyone is deeply humbling for me. So I would like to thank everyone here, for the year that we’ve spent together.” The olive-haired teen smiled at them all, easy and gentle as the flow of water that soaked their legs, and he could visibly see some of the members break down from his honest, genuine words. Even for Hayato himself, holding the tears back in was getting even more difficult now.

********

“I feel the same way as Wakatoshi-kun too!” Satori cried out, big crocodile tears now streaming down his pale cheeks, yet the red-haired teen pays them no mind as he continues to pour his heart out, “You guys are the first team– no, my first _friends_ that accepted me for who I am! You never made any fuss about my appearance, you all listen to my rambles, and you’re always there for me when I have my low moments. I’m super grateful for our friendship, and I hope our bond stays just as strong as it is now: even though we might be separated in a long distance, or we might not be able to meet as frequently in the future.” Taichi and Kenjirou, who were sitting by Satori’s sides, each gave their consolation towards their senior: with Taichi tenderly patting his back, while Kenjirou’s right hand was carefully intertwining them with Satori’s left one. Satori seemed to be able to calm down from their comfort, as he flashed a shaky, but honest smile to signal that he was okay.  


********

All eyes were then directed towards Hayato, as he was the last one out of the third-years who haven’t voiced out his thoughts– his _feelings_. He suddenly feels like he was transported back to the moment where he was sitting at the _engawa_ of his family home, having their weekly lunch together: all eyes were on him too, back then, when Eita asked him about the relationship of his surname and the prefecture’s name. It was a silly question, one that people would sometimes ask him out of curiosity. Yet, here they were: spending their last days together in the said prefecture, going on an impulsive road trip that somehow ends up going really well. They all took pictures with dumb and idiotic poses, laughed as they cracked jokes together, shared different kinds of food on their tight budget, and shared vulnerable moments like these together. As he embarks on this journey with them– with these people who willingly volunteered to do so on such a short notice –Hayato felt like he found the cure to the very ache and pang in his heart: it was _them_. In their confessions and consolation, in the fact that he wasn’t the only one who felt this bittersweet feeling, in this silent promise that their friendship will withstand the test of time and distance. Now, how does his heart feel after he had found the antidote to his sadness?

********

“I’m grateful.” Hayato says swiftly, with so much conviction in the roll of his tongue. The tears finally trickled down his cheeks, but Hayato found himself smiling wide towards his shocked friends, his grin bright and free. “I’m grateful that I got the chance to know each and every one of you in my life. Because, honestly? I’ve never had a team that I ever felt _this_ emotionally connected to before. We achieved victories and went through losses together, yet our bond only grew even stronger. I actually have been feeling bothered because I know that our time together would be limited once we all resume our lives, but then I heard you all admit the same kind of feeling, and I thought: hey, I’m not feeling this sadness alone, and maybe we actually _could_ go through this separation together. Now, I just _know_ that we could: no matter the distance, I think our friendship would do just fine.” He finished his short speech with teary eyes and a big grin, yet his heart felt impossibly free: like all the worries, all the anxiousness in them have disappeared altogether.

********

Now, everyone was reduced into a crying mess and were holding onto each other for some sense of comfort. Hayato, who was laying his head onto Reon’s shoulders, couldn’t help but let out a giggle as he watched them all: they _did_ look out of place with their tearful faces. The rest of his friends seemed have caught on at what Hayato was laughing at, and they all laughed at their teary faces and tried their best to dry the tears with the sleeves of their _yukata_. Now, there was this sense of warmth that blooms in his heart, and Hayato knows that, in the end, their brotherhood will be just fine.

********

**Author's Note:**

> As I finished writing this fic, turns out it was a lot more narrative-heavy than I thought, and there's not much writing about the road trip itself :'). Here's some link about Yamagata City, Tendou City, Yamadera Temple, and Ginzan Onsen for those who are interested to know further about the prefecture! Thank you for reading until the end, and I hope you enjoyed reading this story<3
> 
> Come talk to me on **Twitter** : @onigirikita
> 
>  **Yamagata City** :  
> https://en.japantravel.com/yamagata/a-summer-day-in-yamagata-city/45311  
> https://www.thehiddenjapan.com/yamagatacity
> 
>  **Yamadera Temple** :  
> https://www.thehiddenjapan.com/yamaderatemple
> 
>  **Tendou City** :  
> https://en.japantravel.com/yamagata/cherry-picking-in-tendo-fruit-land/13652  
> https://en.japantravel.com/yamagata/climbing-mt-maizuru/16718
> 
>  **Ginzan Onsen** :  
> https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7975.html
> 
>  **Edit** (05/07/2020): Added some italic and bold to the font!


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